شيعيان عصر حضور امامان و موضوع مهدويت

The Shiʿah Condition during the Presence of Imams (A.S), and the Doctrine of Mahdism

اصالت تاريخيِ باور به منجي موعود، از مباحث مهمي است كه در روزگار ما برخي آن را به رشته نقد كشيده‌اند. با بررسي توصيفي ـ تحليلي نخستين منابع تاريخي و روايي به اين نتيجه دست يافتيم كه اصالت اين آموزه و انتساب آن به شيعيان عصر حضور امامان معصوم? از زمان اميرمومنان علي? و در تمام طول عصر حضور قابل اثبات و ريشه‌يابي است. آنچه بيشتر در طول اين دوره در بوته اختلاف يا ابهام بوده، شناخت شخص مهدي موعود بوده است كه با توجه به اوضاع دشوار سياسي عصر حضور براي بيان معارف شيعي، روند تدريجي بيان و تثبيت برخي آموزه‌ها، تاكيد بر انتظار و اقتضاي طبيعي ابهام‌آلود بودن جزييات آموزه مهدويت، تفاوت سطح معرفتي افراد و...، طبيعي مي‌نمايد و نمي‌تواند مشكلي بر اصالت اين آموزه در ميان شيعيان عصر حضور به شمار آيد.

One of the important issues is the historical authenticity of belief in the Promised Deliverer which some criticize today. A descriptive-analytical study of the early historical and narrative sources shows that the authenticity of this doctrine and attributing it to the Shiah during the presence of Infallible Imams (A.S) ,that is from Imam Aliʹs time throughout the presence period, can be proved and its foundations can be traced. The only issue on which there was disagreement and ambiguity is determining who the Promised Mahdi himself is, which seems natural due to the political conditions of the presence period in which it was difficult for the Shiah to explain their knowledge, the gradual process of explaining and establishing some doctrines (on Mahdism), the emphasis on waiting (for Mahdi – A.S), the natural ground for the ambiguity of the details of Mahdism doctrine, and different levels of individualsʹ knowledge, etc. such a difference and ambiguity cannot be considered as weakness in the authenticity of this doctrine among the shi?as of presence period.